Time of Dying
by lightblue-Nymphadora
Summary: That's how life goes. You spend centuries finding love and building a family, and then some jerk kidnaps your kid... Can Selene and Erika find their daughter? Is there a worse threat than a kidnapper on the loose? Femslash, you've been warned.
1. Ambush

**_LbN: Here's the Underworld winner! Happy reading!_**

Erika played with the pear-shaped, jade pendant at her throat as she paced the room. It had been four hours since Selene had left to track the Renegades that had been spotted. They were usually back in three, at the most. She jumped when a loud knock sounded at her door. "Come in!" she called.

Marianna, their nanny, poked her head in. "I've brought the little princess to say goodnight." She opened the door wider and stood to one side.

A girl who looked about seven years old raced inside and over to Erika. She had long hair the same shade of black as Selene's and Erika's green eyes. "Mama!" she yelled as she was scooped up into the blonde's arms.

"Alexia," Erika said, hugging her daughter closer. "How are you feeling? Better?"

"Yes, Mama. Much better," the girl said, nodding.

"All ready for bed?"

"Yes, Mama. Where's Mummy?" Alexia asked in the light British accent she'd gotten from her mother and nanny.

"She had to run an errand," Erika said. "She'll be back soon, but you need to get to bed."

"Do I have to?" Alexia whined.

"Yes," Erika said, smiling. "We'll have breakfast with you tomorrow morning, alright?"

"Okay." The little girl nodded and gave her mother a kiss. "Night Mama."

"Good night, Alexia," Erika said as her daughter wriggled away from her.

The little girl ran back to her nanny and waved as the two of them exited the room. Erika sat on the end of the bed, fiddling with her necklace again. She'd almost allowed the girl to stay with her that night, but she didn't know what state Selene would return in and didn't want her to see it if her other mom was hurt. She stood and paced the room a few more times before peeling off her lace jacket and tank top. She turned on the shower tap and finished undressing. Stepping into the scalding hot water, she tried to relax and not worry about her wife. It wasn't working. She finished her shower quickly and got out. Toweling dry and wrapping up in her dark green robe, she walked back into the bedroom to write. She'd been helping Tanus chronicle the years after Lucien and Viktor's deaths, and hadn't worked on it in a couple of days. She flipped the hourglass over and began to work.

The sand in the glass had almost completely drained when the bedroom door opened. Selene walked in, looking tired and slightly bruised. She had a bad cut above her right eyebrow that was healing slowly.

"Selene!" Erika said, guiding her injured wife to the bed. "What the hell happened?"

"Ambushed," Selene said tiredly. "We caught a couple of them. Soren and Khan are going to interrogate them tomorrow." She was still as Erika wiped the blood away from her brow. With the blonde's help, she changed into a soft tank top and sweat pants. She managed to only wince twice.

"It's been months since we've seen Renegade activity," Erika mumbled. "What are they playing at?"

"No idea. Come on, we need to rest."

The pair climbed into bed. Erika wrapped her arms around the Death Dealer.

"Did you see our daughter tonight?" Selene asked, relaxing in Erika's arms.

"She came in to say goodnight. I was going to let her stay, but I didn't know if you were going to come back alright or not."

"I should ch-check on her," Selene said, making to get out of bed.

"No you don't," Erika said firmly. "I've told her we'll have breakfast with her. You need to rest."

"Fine then," Selene said, smiling at her protective wife. She kissed the blonde on the lips and said, "Good night."

"Night, Selene."

*

Erika shot straight up in bed. As she looked over at the clock, which read 3 a.m. she felt Selene sit up next to her. The sounds of gun fire were impossible to ignore. "What's going on?"

"I don't know. Go to Alexia," Selene said, getting out of bed and throwing on a shirt. She grabbed a gun and looked back at Erika. "Go!" she insisted.

Erika nodded and threw on a robe. She left out of a concealed door next to the bed and ran down a narrow passageway. She exited another door into a large nursery. Marianna was already there, locking the main door. She glanced toward the bed and saw Alexia sitting up looking terrified. "Marianna, draw the curtains closed," she ordered, walking over to the child. "Don't worry, Lexi. Mummy's gone to sort out the trouble." She climbed into bed next to her and pulled the girl closer. "Marianna, lock the door to the other room and stay in here with us," she told the younger Vampire. Erika was surprised at how calm she was staying. She'd been through a few Renegade sieges before (once while she was pregnant), so she supposed she was used to it by now. She lay next to her daughter and tried to drift back to sleep through the sounds of shouting and bullets.

*

Erika's eyes snapped open as something banged against the door. Before she could move to hide, the door burst open. A Lycan fell through, with two of his un-morphed fellows following behind.

Alexia screamed and began to cry. Erika stood in front of her and Marianna, snarling at the intruders.

One kept a hand on the morphed Lycan's chain, while the other walked over to the three ladies. "Give us the child."

Erika's hand moved so fast it was a blur. She scratched the Lycan, leaving five deep gashes across his face.

He picked her up with a growl and threw her hard into the wall.

"Mama!" Alexia cried as the Lycan pushed her nanny aside and picked her up. "Mama!"

Erika lay unconscious on the floor.

*

Selene dispatched another Lycan and turned to look back at the mansion. Something was wrong. On the edge of her hearing, she could make out a voice crying out. She ran and jumped onto the balcony, then onto the roof. Fear stole over her as she saw two Lycans carrying her daughter away. A morphed Lycan was running in front of them, taking out the guards and guard dogs that were left after the struggle. "Kahn! Raize! East gate!" she yelled, and took off running. She jumped off the roof and kept running. She'd only gotten a few yards when something cannoned into her from the right. She flew a few feet and landed hard. Sitting up, she shot at the Lycan. It retreated, following the other three.

Kahn ran over, shooting at the retreating Lycan. "Selene, what happened?" he asked, as Raize helped her to her feet.

"They've…they've got Alexia…."

**_LbN: Hope you liked it! Send reviews, they make my heart smile :)_**


	2. Captured

**_LbN: This is kind of like "Intro- Part 2". The story's going to pick up pace after this. I wrote/edited this whilst very tired, so hopefully there aren't too many typos... Happy reading!_**

As Erika's eyes opened, the focused slowly on Selene. She tried to sit up in bed, but the room spun.

"Be still," Selene told her, laying a hand on her stomach. "You'll be back to normal in an hour or so. You hit the wall pretty hard."

"Where's Alexia?" Erika asked, taking Selene's hand and closing her eyes again.

Selene was quiet for a moment. Then she squeezed Erika's hand and said, "We'll find her. I promise. Khan and Raize are interrogating the Renegades we captured now. We'll leave as soon as we have something to go on."

"I'm coming with you," Erika said.

"The hell you are," Selene said.

"Don't start," Erika said, opening one eye.

Selene sighed and pushed a piece of hair back from Erika's forehead. She stood and started to pace, going over the ambushes in her head. It didn't make sense. They hadn't seen any Renegade activity in god only knew how long, and all of a sudden there were two ambushes. They had to be connected, especially since the second ended with a kidnapping.

"Selene," Erika said.

"Huh?"

"Come lay down. You can think just as well next to me as you can pacing."

Selene crawled into bed next to her wife. "I don't get it," she said, more to herself than to Erika. "Why Alexia?"

"I wish I knew."

* * *

Alexia shook her head to get her frazzled hair out of her face as the pillowcase was lifted from over it. She looked into the face of a scruffy looking man before scrambling across the bed as best she could with her hands tied. Huddled in a corner, she bared her tiny fangs at him.

The Lycan caught her by the wrists and untied the rope. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

"I want my moms!" Alexia said.

He said nothing, just tossed the rope onto a desk. He left the room without another word, and Alexia heard him speaking to someone outside of the door. A different man came in after a minute. He stood in the doorway for a moment, looking at her. Then, he walked over to the desk and sat down on it. "I've sent Conrad for some food for you. He'll be back in a moment."

"I want to go home," Alexia said, her voice breaking.

"I'm sure your moms will come and get you soon. In the meantime, we're going to get to be friends, yes?" He strode over and knelt next to the bed. He reached out and touched the necklace she was wearing. It was a small gold chain with the letter S on an onyx pendant. "Salieri. I thought the vampires gave their children their sire's last name. If yours is Salieri, that means your Erika's. Good, then she'll come for you too." He lifted her gently off of the bed. When she stuggled, he said, "Calm down, I just want to show you where everything is. There's your toy box in the corner. Drawing paper and coloring pencils are at the desk." He opened the door and carried her outside. Pointing to the door on his right, he said, "That's the bathroom. That's really all you need to know. There'll be a guard outside your door all the time, so you don't try anything like sneaking off." He glared at her. She glared right back. He chuckled and put her down. "You really are their kid."

"Why am I here? Who are you?" she asked.

The man smiled and knelt beside her. "My name's Michael. We're going to be great pals by the time your moms get here. Anything you want, just ask."

"If you wanted to be my friend, why didn't you just visit the house?" Alexia asked.

"Well, your moms are mad at me for something I did a long time ago. It's better this way. Now, go to bed. I'll see you when you wake up." He pushed her gently inside the room and closed the door.

Alexia heard it lock from the other side as she walked over to the bed. It was harder than the one she had at home, and the blankets were thin. There were a lot of them, to make up for it, but still…she missed her own room. She missed her nanny and her moms. With that thought, she put her head on the pillow and began to cry.

* * *

When Selene awoke, the sun was shining brightly in through the window. "Shit!" she said. "How did I fall asleep?"

"I helped you both along," said a voice from the doorway. It was Markus. "I gave both of you an injection to help you sleep. We're not going to get anywhere with the pair of you injured and exhausted. It's only eleven o'clock, we'll start looking for the youngling once both of you have fed."

"Erika's not com—"

"Selene, do you honestly think you'll be able to stop her?" Markus asked. "We'll stay in groups. Nothing will happen to her. Nothing we can't fix, at least."

Selene looked over at her wife, who was stirring. "Fine. We'll feed and meet you downstairs."

"We're assembling in the training room," Markus told her.

Erika sat up after he'd left. "What's going on?" she asked.

"We need to feed," Selene told her, crossing over to the fridge they kept stocked in their room. "Then we're going to look for Alexia." She tossed a package of plasma to Erika.

"Do we have anything to go on?" Erika asked before beginning to drink.

"No idea. We're meeting in the training room after this. Hopefully Kahn's found something."

**_LbN: Reviews make me feel warm and fuzzy inside! General poll is up on my profile for which slash ship you'd want to see me write. Peace out!_**


	3. Running Out of Time

**_LbN: Okay peeps! I'm back from spring break and have two chapters for you! The next one will be up later. One thing before this chapter: I normally don't introduce new characters if they're going to have a significant part in the story, and I REALLY try not to give you guys an actor for them, since I like to leave you to your own imaginings. That said: Henry Cavill is Clayton. Go with it. Open another tab and refer to his picture whilst reading this :)._**

Erika and Selene entered the dungeon to find Markus, William, Raize and Kahn gathered around one of the captured Renegades.

"They've told us many interesting things," William said. "Speak!" he barked at the Vampire.

"Show some respect," the prisoner spat. "You're the dog here, Master William, not I." The blow William dealt sent his head snapping to one side. He gazed up at the immortals intensely for a moment. Finally, he spoke. "We've been planning this hit for a while. Most of us have been dying for some action, but Boss wanted to lie low. He decided the time was right a week ago, but we had to wait for you to bring the kid back," he said, looking at Erika. "We were worried that you'd moved to the other coven, but you finally returned."

"Why Alexia?" Erika asked.

"Boss has a score to settle."

"Who's 'Boss'?"

"Michael Corvin."

Erika stormed out of the dungeon, Selene and the others on her heels. Bursting through the armory doors a minute later, she yelled, "Clayton!"

A Lycan cleaning a gun at one of the tables stood. "Erika?"

"Put a target up. I need to shoot something," she said, taking a gun from the wall.

He led her to one of the shooting booths and asked, "Did you find out anything about Lexi?"

The worry in his voice calmed her slightly, and she nodded as she shot the plaster mold of Oliver Goldsmith. "It was Michael," Erika growled.

Selene watched plaster fly as her wife demolished the sculpture. Turning to William and Markus, she said, "I want to question him some more. Will you join me?"

Both nodded. William led the way back to the dungeons. He stepped to one side and let Selene into the Vampire's line of vision.

"You said Michael had a score to settle. What's he want from me?"

"Boss wants revenge. He hates you for banishing him ten years ago."

"He couldn't be disciplined, in any form of the word. He thought being the only half/half Hybrid set him above the rules of the coven."

"Whatever your reasons are, they're not good enough for him," he continued. "He found us—the Renegades—quickly and started to learn more about the… er… different types of us, so to speak. Immortals- the regular Lycans and Vampires; Hybrids- himself and those he's sired, who are half and half. And then there are Hybrids such as Markus, William and you. Markus and William- originals; and you, because you've taken the blood of an original- Alexander Corvinus."

"I'm assuming this little family lesson has a point?"

"Boss wants you to suffer. He wants to humiliate you, and two years ago, after your lot raided our den, he found a way. A serum ro drain the power from an immortal—make them weak, almost human again. We've worked tirelessly developing it in different forms for the different types—Immortal, Hybrid, Original. But now we have to test it."

"Alexia?" Selene whispered.

"He thought about kidnapping the blonde, but thought this way would be a…ah… sweeter sting. Once he's worked out the last of the kinks, with your brat's help, we'll be able to fight you again. The kid's in for a world of pain if you don't find her."

"You've told me everything else," Selene snapped. "Why not tell me where they are?"

"Because all of what I told you has already gone down, it's not important. Hell, they may have already tested the stuff out. You're not going to find her in time."

Selene took out her Blackberry and typed something in. "That's what you think." She turned to William and said, "I'm going to run an errand. He's not to be harmed in my absence."

"I'll tell Raize," William said, nodding.

Selene gave the Vampire one last glance before leaving the dungeon. She stalked through the mansion, ignoring the immortals that stood respectfully as she passed. Exiting out of the front doors, she saw her Erika's black Phantom in the circular driveway. She slid into the backseat, next to her wife. "Let's go," she said.

As Clayton sped through the mansion gates, Kahn turned to look at them. "Don't suppose you're going to tell us why we're raiding MediLab?" he asked, holding up his phone. The text she'd sent was on the screen.

"Sodium Pentahol."

"Truth serum?" Clayton asked.

"We've run out and we can't wait for them to break under interrogation. We're running out of time." She felt Erika take her hand and sat back as they drove out of the woods.

* * *

"You're quite the artist," Michael said.

Alexia jumped. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Michael chuckled and picked up some of the papers. Normal kid's drawings, but he recognized the mansion, and Selene and Erika. There was also a picture of a little girl holding a man's hand. "Who's this?" Michael asked, pointing to the man.

"Clayton."

"Who's Clayton?"

"He's my god-daddy and my bodyguard. Your friend bit him in the leg last night," she said, glaring at him. "He tried to stop them from taking me."

"Hrrmmph," Michael grunted. "Here, I brought you some more toys."

"How come? It's not my birthday."

"I told you, you can have whatever you want."

"I want human food for dinner."

Michael's stomach churned at the memory. "You can have human food? I thought you were a hybrid?"

"I am. And I can."

"Okay, then. What do you want?"

"Ravioli."

"I'll have someone get it for you. I want to talk some more when I get back, alright?"

"Alright." She watched him leave the room before looking back at her paper. She stacked the picture she'd been working on (herself with her moms) on top of the others and climbed out of the chair. Looking through the bag of toys, she found a princess costume. She had just finished putting it on, and was taking out the Legos, when Michael came back in.

"Ready to talk?" he asked cheerfully.

"About what?"

"Oh, just stuff. You said you were a hybrid?"

"Yeah, why?"

**_LbN: Next chapter will be up either tonight or early tomorrow! Send reviews por favor!_**


	4. Time of Dying

**_LbN: Bonus cookies if you can spot the line I shamelessly pilfered from another Kate Beckinsale movie!_**

The four immortals rode in silence until finally, Clayton slowed the car. He parked about a hundred meters away from a large warehouse. They could see trucks coming out of the gate and turning down a one-way street ahead of them. Kahn typed quickly at his laptop. "I shut down the cameras at the south and east gates, and I the development lab. That should give them enough of a distraction. You've got 25 minutes."

"We'll be back in fifteen," Erika said, as she and Selene got out of the car. They got a running start and leapt on top of the closest building. From the next roof, they looked down at the lab's parking lot. They could see most of the security team at the other entrances, trying to sort out the problem. There was one guard at their gate, but he was watching Deal or No Deal. "Too easy," Erika said as they jumped down onto an empty truck and then to the ground.

"Let's hope it stays that way," Selene muttered.

They crept into the warehouse through a side door. Though they knew exactly where they were going, hey had to dodge a couple of random lab techs and security guards. Finally, they reached the aisle they needed. Erika unzipped her backpack as quietly as possible, and held it open so Selene could put a shoebox-sized carton into it.

They were walking back to the door when Selene's phone shook. She held out a hand to stop Erika when she read the message:

Wtng N. Exit. Hurry!

They bolted down the main aisle too fast for any human eye to catch. Unfortunately, this did not stop them from being solid. They made a huge racket as they burst through the swinging doors into another part of the warehouse. They could hear shouting behind them. As they ran, Erika looked up and spotted something. Without breaking her stride, she grabbed hold of Selene and jumped, pulling the older Vampire onto the balcony with her. The few guards that were up here were at the opposite railing, looking down for the intruders. Selene and Erika were a blur as they raced behind them to the far wall. With the type of choreography that only comes after a millennia of married life and practice, they dove one after the other out of the open window and landed side by side on the ground. With another running start, they easily cleared the ten foot wire fences, bypassing the security area completely. They rounded a corner and jumped back into the car.

After peeling out of the street and making sure they were a good ways away, Clayton's face split into a wolfish grin. "Sixteen minutes, forty-three seconds," he told Erika.

"Shut up," she panted.

"What happened, Kahn?" Selene asked.

"One of the cameras went back online," he explained. "They spotted you before I could shut it down again. D'you get it?"

Erika nodded, holding up the bag.

They made it back to the mansion in record time. Before entering the dungeons, Selene dumped a few of the stolen vials into a bag of plasma. She filled four syringes with the mixture and handed two to Clayton. "You take the one in Cell B." She and Erika went into the cell from earlier. Taking the captured immortals arm and injecting it with the solution, she said, "One should be enough. If he resists, we'll give him the other one. If he still resists," she nodded to a table of lethal-looking instruments, "You can clip off one of his fingers."

"I'll clip off something," Erika said.

"Whom are you working for?" Selene asked the Renegade.

"Michael Corvin."

"Good, he sounds drowsy," she muttered. "It's working. Where were you staying before the hit?"

"Bradford Road, in the abandoned apartment complex."

"Are they still there?"

"No," he said, nodding off. Selene kicked him in the shins. "Ah!"

"Where did they move to?"

"I don't know."

"Where are they now?"

"I don't know

Selene growled in frustration, but Erika moved to her side and touched her arm. "Maybe you need to ask it differently." She kneeled in front of him and took his chin in her hand. "Can you hear me?" she asked.

"Yes."

"How were you to find the Renegades if you were separated?"

"Follow the river north. In the woods."

"A house?"

"Abandoned place."

"The coven's first mansion?" Erika suggested to Selene. "Or maybe the monastery where Tannus was in exile."

"We'll check them both."

They ran back to the top of the stairs and through the mansion. When they reached the armory, Kahn and Clayton were already there with William and Markus.

"Tannus's monastery," they all said.

"Or the old mansion," Selene added. "We should check both places."

"Let's divide into two groups—" Erika began.

"No," Selene said, turning to her.

"Selene, you said yourself we don't have much time," Erika said. "The two places are only a few miles apart, but it'll be quicker this way. I'll take Clayton and Kahn's groups to the monastery. You take Raize and Soren's teams to the old mansion."

Selene was silent for a moment, then said, "Fine. You all heard her!" she called to the assembled party.

"William and I will keep on the radio. Talk to us if you need backup," Markus said.

"One of us should go along," William said.

"No," Erika told him. "If anything happens to either of you, we risk what little unity we have."

The two Originals nodded and went to help the teams load up.

Selene caught Clayton's arm as he passed. Without saying anything, she glanced over at Erika.

"I won't let anything happen to her," he said quietly.

Selene let go of him and went to get her guns.

* * *

"Let's play a game, Lexi," Michael said.

"Don't call me that," Alexia said. "Only my moms and Clayton call me that."

"What do your friends call you?"

"Alexia. What do you want to play?"

"Ninjas! Look, I even brought you an outfit." He held up a black karate uniform.

"Cool!" Alexia jumped off the bed, tossing her book to the side. She pulled the costume on and said, "'Kay, let's play."

"Here," Michael said, holding out a plank of wood. "Break this board."

"YAH!" Alexia yelled, punching the board in two.

Michael's jaw dropped. He hadn't expected that. "Do you train at the coven?"

"Yeah, sometimes. Let's go again!"

He held up another board and watched her kick it in half. They went through six pieces of wood like this before he said, "Good job. I'm going to run an errand now. You keep playing."

"Okay, Michael," Alexia said, turning a cartwheel. She kicked and punched at nothing for a while, before jumping on her bed and attacking her pillows. After a few minutes, she stopped. She could hear Michael talking to someone in the hallway.

"She's stronger than I thought," he said. "We'll try a quarter dose every three hours and see."

Something about the way her tummy fell at his words told her this was bad. She ran to her closet and burrowed into the clothes and costumes. After a moment of silence, she heard the door to her room open.

"Alexia?" Michael called.

It didn't take long for him to find her. She blinked at the light as he opened the closet door and parted some of the clothes. "I'm tired. I don't want to play anymore."

He picked her up and handed her to another Renegade who was sitting on her bed. "Be still for a second," he said, taking out a syringe full of bright purple liquid.

"What is that?" Alexia yelped, struggling.

"Hold her still," Michael told the other immortal. "You're three times her size, come on!"

"It's not as easy as it looks," the Vampire grunted, trying to subdue the fighting girl.

Finally, they got a hold of her and Michael stuck the needle into the crook of her arm.

"Ouch!" she yelled. But the initial prick was nothing compared with the pain she felt after the liquid was pushed into her arm. She screamed. Her vision swam and it felt like every inch of her skin was being stung by hornets. She sank to the bed as the Vampire let go of her. Tears fell onto her pillow as she shuddered. "I thought you were my friend," she whispered.

Michael tucked the shivering girl into bed and left the room without replying.

**_LbN: Send reviews! They make my heart smile!_**


	5. Siege

**Time of Dying**

Alexia whimpered as Michael sat her up. She felt sleepy, but not horrible anymore. When she saw him take out another syringe of the purple stuff, she kicked out hard and hit him in the chin. She watched, with a great deal of satisfaction, as he turned away to wipe off the blood.

Michael, undeterred by the interruption, grabbed her arm and gave her another shot. Ignoring her screams, he put her back into bed and left the room.

*

Clayton handed a gun to Erika as he drove. "Keep that one on your belt."

"I've got two already," Erika said, switching it with one of the guns in her holsters anyway.

"That's a different one," Kahn said. "The bullets are made to kill Hybrids like Michael; half and halves. And they dissolve once they're in, so they won't be able to copy our technology."

"Clever," Erika said, smirking.

"I know," Kahn said.

They drove through the woods in silence. Every so often, Clayton would hit a button on the GPS tracker and see how close Selene's team was to the old mansion. Finally, he pulled into a clearing, the other four Hummers pulling in beside him. He jumped out and began unloading their artillery. When all the gathered immortals had three or four weapons each, Clayton went over the plan. "We keep going on foot. Erika, Lars, Pierce, Rhys, Andrea, Thom, Bentley, Jossie, Damien, and Fidelia are coming with me to the back entrance. Kahn's taking Max, Taylor, Demetria, Cassidy, Zephyr, Trent, Sami, Kennedy, Brett and Elliot to siege the front. Secure two rooms, and if they aren't there we high-tail it back here. Got it?"

Everyone nodded. A blonde Hybrid—Zephyr— who looked no older than sixteen (but was actually 256 years old) spoke up. "What do we do if we find the youngling?"

"I have the serial to each of your walkie-talkies programmed into my GPS," he said, tapping the system that was hidden in his coat. "If you find her, don't say anything, just get her into a secure room and keep tapping the button on your walkie-talkie. I'll find you. Once we have her, I'll say 'Secure' into the system and we'll leave. It's going to be chaos, especially when the other team arrives, so remember where your exit is."

"Prisoners or slaughterhouse?" Demetria asked.

"Kill as many as you can, as long as it doesn't get in the way of finding Alexia," Clayton said. "Anything else?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Right then, let's get moving."

It was an interesting sight, as the group of immortals jumped into trees. They moved silently among the treetops until they saw the monastery. Clayton glanced down at his GPS and saw that the others had begun the siege. He nodded at his group and led the way into the back. The first room, the kitchen, was secure; it seemed like all of the Renegades had been distracted by the group at the front. When they hit the large living room/foyer, they ran into a group of Renegades.

Clayton shot two of them dead before they knew they were there. As the battle raged, he heard one of them say, "Call Michael!"

"Erika, get down!" He shot over her head as she ducked, taking out an advancing Lycan. He dodged a few bullets from the Renegades that had joined the fight and pulled Taylor behind a couch. "We're never going to find her in time like this. I'm taking Erika to search the building. Keep them busy."

Taylor nodded and fired at some of the Renegades over the couch.

Clayton motioned for Erika to follow him and, under the cover of fire, made their way to the stairs. Luckily, these were in another room so they didn't have to waste ammo.

Erika reloaded her guns and followed Clayton up the stairs. They rounded a corner and simultaneously shot two Lycans that were guarding a door. She tried the door. It was locked. She stepped out of the way as Clayton morphed, backed up to get a small running start, and smashed it open.

* * *

Selene rushed back out of the house to where Soren, Raize and the others were waiting. "Secure," she said. "Let's get to the monastery."

They raced back to their cars and were on their way. Selene loved driving with Soren. The man took speed limits as polite suggestions; suggestions which he more often than not ignored. They were at the monastery in less than twenty minutes. Selene could hear the fighting inside the house and nodded to the immortals with her. Readying their weapons, they rushed into the building and joined the fight.

* * *

She would have screamed, but screaming took breath, and Alexia was running low on that. As the Lycan advanced on her, she noticed something. His short black hair was receding, he was taking his human form again. When he gently picked her up, she knew who it was. "Clayton," she whispered.

Clayton handed her to Erika and grabbed his somewhat ripped coat from the floor. He'd purposefully refrained from morphing in full, so his pants had stayed intact. As Alexia cried on her mother's shoulder, he pushed the button on his radio and said, "Secure!" They ran back into the hall and down the stairs. Unable to tell who was who in the melee, he simply covered Erika and Alexia as they retreated.

At the clearing, the rest of the group, minus three people, were waiting for them. "Load up!" Clayton yelled. He jumped into the passenger side of the Hummer Kahn was driving. Selene, Alexia and Erika were in the back. "What happened to Taylor, Bentley and Jossie?" Clayton asked.

Kahn looked at him, but said nothing. He pulled out of the clearing doing eighty and headed south, the other cars following him.

As they rode in silence, Clayton saw something out of the corner of his vision. He growled and began stripping his clothes. Jumping out of the sunroof, he ran into the forest.

"Mommy! Go get him!" Alexia whined.

"No! Stay here," Erika said. She picked up Clayton's discarded walkie-talkie and said, "Soren, I think Clayton saw Michael. He's headed east; go after him!"

In the rearview mirror, they saw one of the cars swerve out of line and stop. A group of four immortals jumped out and ran into the trees.

* * *

Fuck guns, Clayton thought. He was going to tear this bastard apart the old fashion way. His heart pounded as he ran on all fours and finally dove into the Hybrid.

They landed hard in the leaves and Michael threw Clayton off of him. He sat up, growled, and cannoned into the younger immortal.

Clayton was ready and swiped at Michael with a paw, leaving gashes on the other immortal's face. He wrestled with him for what seemed like hours, finally getting him in a choke hold. But then, suddenly, he was pulled off and slammed into a tree. His vision swam, but he could see Michael turning back into his human form. That could mean only one thing: he was caught.

**LbN: Send reviews! Also, if you didn't know, my forum is open now for you guys to leave requests. The link's on my profile!**


	6. Pain

**_LbN: Sorry it's been a while! I was in the middle of finals/moving back to the States/getting over jet lag/writers block. But we're back in action now!_**

Clayton's eyes fluttered open. His mouth was dry, his head was splitting, and he felt cold. Very cold. The kind of cold that let him know he wasn't wearing anything. "Where am I?" he whispered. He pulled at his restraints.

"You can't get out. Just relax."

Clayton swiveled his eyes to the right to see Michael. He struggled, trying to morph.

"You can't. We gave you a small dose of our little experiment. We'll see how long it takes for you to regain your powers, but for now we can talk."

"About what? How one of the loyal immortals is going to rip you limb from limb for your kidnapping stunt. It may not be me, but _god_ I hope it is."

"What's your deal with the brat? You in the running for her husband when she gets older? Got a thing for Erika? Wish Alexia was yours?"

"I'm Erika's brother. Shouldn't I be protective of my niece?"

"How are you her brother? You're a Lycan, she's a Vampire."

"Half-brother. Our mother. My father is William."

"That's why you're so strong," Michael said, showing him a bruise on his arm.

"I'm his pride and joy," Clayton said, smirking.

Michael sneered, but said nothing. He stayed quiet for a moment, his eyes travelling over Clayton.

"See something you like?" Clayton asked.

"No. So you're only her godfather because you're her uncle then?"

"What's wrong? Jealous it wasn't you?"

Michael growled and stood up. He grabbed a syringe full of the neon purple liquid. "We'd hoped to capture Selene or Erika, but you'll do." He plunged the needle into Clayton's side and emptied it.

"Michael!" another Renegade yelled over Claytons screams. "What the hell? He's not fully healed yet; that'll kill him!"

"Maybe," Michael said.

Clayton writhed as much as his restraints would allow. Another wave of pain hit him and he threw up. Through the ringing in his ears, he could hear the Renegades talking.

"Take him back to his home. Let's see how William handles news of his pride and joy. They'll probably be patrolling the woods around the mansion, so be careful. Get as close as you can safely," Michael instructed them.

Some of the pressure around Clayton's wrists and ankles lessened. He yelled again when two Renegades hefted him off the table and carried him out of the room. He was tossed into the back of a Hummer a few moments later. He shivered and choked as the engine began to rumble. He tried to lie as still as possible as the truck sped through the woods. He jolted into the back of the seat when it stopped suddenly, and then tumbled out when a Renegade opened the door.

*

"Mommy, have they found him yet?" Alexia asked.

"No, Lexi, but they will," Selene said, holding the little girl closer. "Go back to sleep."

"Where's Mama?"

"She's waiting with William." Selene tucked her daughter into bed and resumed pacing the room. Alexia was recovering well, but still couldn't stay awake for longer than an hour. Selene jumped slightly when Erika walked back in.

"He still isn't back," she said. "Soren's team couldn't find him. Do you think they've—"

"Erika, don't. Don't do this to yourself. We don't know what's happened to him. For all we know, he could just be hiding out until it's safe to return. Don't play the 'What If' game right now," Selene said, hugging her wife. She took the clip out of her wife's hair and ran her hands through her blonde curls. "We should rest while we wait."

"I can't," Erika said, pulling away slightly. "Today's been too nuts. How is she?" she asked, looking over at Alexia.

"Better. She said she's not in pain anymore, and she's gaining her strength back."

"I went down to the lab a little bit ago. Rhys and I ran some tests on her blood. The serum is a temporary power drain; different Hybrids and Immortals react differently to it. It's not as straightforward as they thought. It's like human medicine, everyone reacts differently, even if it's made for certain types. They gave Alexia relatively small doses, which is probably why she's recovering so well and so quickly. I don't know what it would do to a full grown Immortal."

"We should—"

A knock sounded at the door. A young Lycan with black hair rushed in. "Miss Erika, Miss Selene, Clayton's back!"

"What? Is he alright?" Erika asked.

The Lycan's purple eyes dropped to the floor. "I…I don't think so. You should come to the infirmary."

"Lars!" Selene yelled. She stood back as one of the Lycan Hybrids entered. "Stay here with Alexia. We're going down to the infirmary."

"Of course, Selene."

Erika pulled a jacket on over her tank top and led the way downstairs. Once they made it to the room, she pushed her way through the crowd of staring Immortals to see her brother. "What's wrong with him?" she whispered to William.

Clayton was in one of the beds, and though he was wrapped tightly in four blankets, he was shivering. A plasma drip was connected to his arm, and he seemed to be unconscious.

"They gave him the same stuff as Alexia, only…a lot more."

"Is he…is he going to die?"

"No. But he's in a lot of pain, and we don't know what the effects will be when he wakes up."

Selene moved to stand behind Erika, and wrapped her arms around her wife. "He'll be okay," she said quietly.

"Can I speak to you in private?" Markus asked, placing a hand on Selene's shoulder.

"Of course."

She followed him out of the infirmary and into his private study. Before she could ask what he wanted, he began to speak.

"I know this will seem like a superfluous warning," he began. "But listen carefully. You have to keep a close eye on Erika until we can come up with a plan. Michael will brought to justice, I can assure you, but it will take time. Erika is not now, nor has she ever been, a warrior. But she loves Clayton, and I fear she may do something rash in retaliation. This may be what Michael wants. In any case, I am confining your family and your servants to this mansion for the week."

"I want to—"

"No. You will not help in anything other than planning. Your family has been through a traumatic ordeal. You will stay with them while we figure out what we're facing and how to deal with it."

"Yes, Markus."

"Go be with them. I'm sure William has sent Erika away from the hospital by now. She's a wonderful nurse, but she shouldn't have to see her brother like this."

Selene nodded and walked back upstairs to her room. Erika was cleaning, which was never a good sign. Only extreme agitation could make an aristocratic Immortal like Erika clean. "Miłość?" Selene asked. In their centuries of existence, the pair of them had learned almost every language possible. Polish was one of their preferred tongues.

"We should just gather a team and go bomb both places," Erika raged, scrubbing the desk.

Selene caught her arm and pulled her into a hug. "We're going to stay in this week. We need to plan, and they're not going to hit us now. Not while we're on such high alert. Don't worry."

"I have to worry. He's kidnapped our daughter and poisoned my brother, all in less than a week. What's next?"

Selene hugged her tightly for a moment before walking over to the window. Looking out over the grounds she wondered the same thing.

**_LbN: Send reviews! "Milosc" means love. At least according to the Web dictionary I used... :)_**


	7. Healing

_**LbN: Hey everyone. Had to fight through some writer's block, but we've got a fluffy little chapter now! Happy reading!**_

Erika watched her wife and daughter in the garden. Alexia was climbing the trees, picking pears and tossing them down to Selene. Two large baskets were already full, and they were working on a third. While Alexia was having fun, Erika's real aim in the pear picking adventure was to monitor the young Vampire's coordination and balance. It had been a few days since the rescue and Alexia was improving a little every day. "I think someone's getting tired," she said, walking over to where Selene was catching fruit.

"I thought I saw her yawn a moment ago," Selene said. She set the basket next to the others and called, "Come down, Lexi!"

Alexia slid and jumped from branch to branch until she was hanging by her arms from the branch right in front of them. She looked at the ground and then back at her arms. "Mommy, help please." The one thing she hadn't fully recovered yet was depth perception. The drop was short, but she couldn't really tell.

Selene helped her down and they walked back up the path to the mansion. "How are you feeling?" she asked their daughter.

"I'm f-fine," Alexia said through a yawn.

"Marianna?" Erika said, peeking her head into one of the lounges. "Will you take Alexia to her room for her nap?"

"Of course, Erika." The young Immortal took Alexia by the hand and led her up the nearby stairs.

"Shall we go see William and Markus?" Selene asked.

"We're supposed to be resting as well," Erika said, smirking at her.

"I know, but I can't stand not knowing what's going on."

"I know. We'll go see them, but I want you to myself for the rest of the day after that."

"Deal," Selene chuckled.

They walked through the house and up the stairs to the east wing. Selene rapped on the door to Markus's study.

"Enter!"

"Markus?"

"Hello Selene," Markus said. "Hello Erika. We haven't found anything else yet," he told Selene. "And Clayton's recovering slowly, but surely," he told Erika. "Now, I believe I instructed you both to relax this week?"

"Yes, Markus," they said.

"Shoo."

Both of them laughed as they left the study. They climbed the stairs another two flights to their room. Erika closed the door behind them. She hadn't realized just how much she missed spending time with her wife until Selene had pulled her into a hug. "Stay here with me," she mumbled into the older Vampire's shoulder.

"Don't worry," Selene whispered.

* * *

Selene woke up a while later to find a small body squeezed between her and Erika. She chuckled as their daughter squirmed in her sleep, trying to get comfortable.

"Oof!" Erika said, waking up. Alexia had just kicked her in the ribs. "I think she's recovered her strength." She smiled at Selene and rolled out of bed.

"Mommy? Mama?" Alexia said, yawning.

"Wake up, Sleepy Bat," Selene said. "Mama's going to see Clayton in the hospital, but I need to talk to you."

"I want to go see Clayton too!"

"Not yet, Lexi," Erika said. "He's still sick, but you should be able to see him in a week or so." She kissed her on the forehead. "I'll be back in a little bit."

"Come sit with me, Lex," Selene said, holding her arms out. She carried her over to the window to sit. As the moonlight shone in, she could see Alexia's eyes beginning to glow. "I need to talk to you about school."

"Human school?"

"That's right. You'll be starting in two years. I know that seems like a long time from now, but it isn't. You have to start training so there aren't any…accidents."

"So I don't eat anyone?"

"Right," Selene said, chuckling. It wasn't really funny, but the bluntness of children never ceased to amaze her. "So, after school every day from now on, you're going to train with your class. Tannus will show you all how to control yourselves around humans."

"Is it that hard?" Alexia scrunched her eyebrows as she looked up at Selene. "You're always around humans."

"I'm 583 years old," Selene told her. "I've had a lot of practice. It's not so much that we have to worry about attacking humans—we have pretty good self control from birth as long as we feed regularly—but there are certain ways our bodies change when…" Selene trailed off. Somehow the term "blood lust" seemed a bit harsh for a child. "When we're around real blood. Our eyes glow, just like when we're hungry. Our bodies tense, like when we're hunting. You're going to learn to control that, so you can relax in the classroom."

"Okay," Alexia nodded. "I don't want to eat anyone."

Selene laughed and hugged her.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Erika asked.

"I've been better," Clayton grunted. "But I've definitely been worse as well. I think I'm getting better."

"Have you tried to morph yet?"

"No. William thinks I'm still too weak. The strain might kill me if I tried it now." He struggled to a sitting position. "But I'm better. The pain's gone. I can sit up, and even walk around for a little bit. What are you thinking, nurse?"

"That something's up," Erika said. "We, Brett and I, had a little mathematical fun. We calculated you and Alexia's rate of recovery compared to your ages. So far, you're progressing the way you should be, except for the morphing bit. You should be able to morph by now."

"You don't think--?"

"Your powers aren't gone, don't worry. They're just…dormant, for some reason."

"How do you know?"

Erika pulled the cord on the window to raise the blinds. Moonlight flooded the room as she picked up a mirror and handed it to Clayton. His blue-green eyes glowed as he looked at his reflection.

"Well, that's a relief," he said, setting the mirror on his nightstand. "How long will I have to stay here?"

"A week, two at the most I'm thinking. If it's any consolation, you'd be confined to the house anyway."

"Yeah, Markus told me about the Aurelius-Salieri lockdown," Clayton said with a smirk.

"We'll figure something out."

"When I'm better, I'm going to kill him."

Erika looked down at Clayton, smiling because she knew he was probably right.

_**LbN: Hope you liked it! Send reviews!!! Next Chapter: in which Alexia recovers, Clayton surprises, Michael panics, and Erika proves what a badass she is. Oh, and there's a new poll on my profile. Go vote, won't you?  
**_


	8. Developments

_**LbN: Happy reading! We're getting to the end!**_

"All better," Erika said, smiling as she helped Alexia down from the stool. "Go play with your friends downstairs. I have to go check on Clayton."

"Can I see him?" Alexia asked.

"You saw him this morning. Run along, I have to work."

"Kay, Mama."

Erika watched her daughter skip out of the infirmary before walking into the next room. "Hey," she said. "How're you feeling?"

Clayton set his book down, got out of bed, did a pirouette and got back into bed again grinning. "Better."

"Good," Erika laughed. "You strong enough to handle a few surprises? We've found something interesting in your blood work." She pulled out a file as Markus and William came into the room. "Ah, just in time. I was about to tell him."

"Tell me what?" Clayton asked.

"You, dear brother, were the first actual test the Renegades ran, in which the object was to completely strip the Immortal of his powers. Lexi recovered quicker than you because her doses were smaller and she'd almost fully recovered from the first dose before they gave her another. We ran your blood again because of something weird we noticed with her. Her powers are progressing faster than the rest of the class. She's months ahead of where she should be in controlling her blood lust; she can cling to walls easier than the others, etc."

"So what's all this mean for me?"

"The blood tests we ran looked at the strength of you parent virus—"

"The virus that makes us Immortal?"

"Right. Last week, when you were halfway recovered, your parent virus was at full strength. This week…." Erika's hand moved so fast even most Immortals wouldn't have been able to see it.

Clayton, however, caught the pencil she threw before Markus or William knew she'd thrown it.

"Your reaction time, as I suspected, is better. We'll have to monitor your training, just like with Alexia, but if I'm correct the Renegades have made a serum that boosts Immortals' powers and strength."

Clayton looked at the pencil he was still holding, and then back at Erika. "I…er…whoa…"

"It's a lot to take in, I know," William grunted. "But the main thing we need to do is see you morph."

"I'm ready," Clayton said, nodding.

They walked out to a secluded part of the garden, where the outdoor arena used to be. Clayton walked further into the dirt circle and closed his eyes. A look of deep concentration passed over his face, before he began to change. His hair thickened, his face began to morph. He roared as his body switched into its wolf form.

"I think," William said. "Now would be a good time to start planning our next step against the Renegades."

* * *

"What the hell is going on?" Michael said, pacing. "It's been a week and a half. We haven't heard anything! Why haven't they struck back?" he mumbled.

"Michael, you gotta chill man," another Renegade said. "We should be using this time to train and gather supplies. Maybe do a couple of recon missions, see what they're planning."

Michael was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded, pointed at the other Lycan and said, "Recon." He walked over to the door and yelled, "Shiloh!"

"You can't be serious," the other Renegade said.

A young Vampire walked through the door. "What's up Michael?"

"I have a job for you," Michael told him, picking up a backpack.

"Have you lost your mind?" the other Renegade asked. "He's only 13!"

"I can do it!" Shiloh said. "What do I have to do?"

"These are the cameras we use to bug buildings," Michael explained. "I need you to set them up around the mansion. Your father used to do this all the time, should be easy for you."

The boy nodded. "Do I get a gun?"

"Do this, and we'll get you a gun," Michael said. "Be careful. I've activated the cameras, and here's a headset so we can communicate with you."

"Thanks," Shiloh said, putting it on.

"Get going. It's going to take you about an hour on foot. Try to stay in the trees until you reach the place. Just in case they have surveillance on the ground. There's a stun gun in the bag, just in case."

"Right. I'm going." Shiloh waved to the two older men and exited.

"Michael!" the other Renegade said.

"If he gets caught, they're not going to hurt him. He's so young, they'll be merciful."

* * *

"We can't strike them," Clayton insisted. "They're expecting it."

"Besides, Clayton is supposed to be our secret weapon," Selene reminded them. "We need to use him on the defensive."

"They're lying low as much as we are," Markus said. "Any…suggestions on how to bring them out of the woodwork?"

"Baby shower," Erika said.

"No!" Selene told her.

"The coven goes all out for newborns," Erika continued. "They know that. They also know that we generally loosen up defenses during parties. One team does the work until it's over. It would be their perfect opportunity, and ours."

"It would also let them know you're pregnant," Selene said.

"They don't have to know," Clayton said. "My team could escort Erika and Alexia to the coven's house in the south. That way, they wouldn't even be here when the battle happened. If they're not here, the Renegade's will think it's just a setup, right? It would be the perfect ruse, and easy to leak."

"Especially with them bugging the mansion," Rhys said, pointing at one of the computer screens.

The Immortals gathered around it. "Who is that?" William asked.

"Can't tell," Rhys said. "He's got his hood up. I'll go get him, shall I?"

"Yes," Markus said. "But be gentle, he looks young."

* * *

Michael jolted awake at Shiloh's voice. "I'm here, what's up?"

"I made it. Saw some scouts on the ground, but I passed them easy. I've already set up two cameras on the north fence, but there were guards around so I couldn't call you to see if they activated okay."

"They're fine, I can see the reception."

"Right, I'm—"

The screen showing the boy cut out. Michael heard a thump and called into the microphone. "Shiloh? Can you hear me?" There was a crunching noise and the piercing tone in his ear let him know the headphone had just been destroyed.

"They've got him!" the other Renegade said, jumping up. "Let's go!"

"No," Michael said. "Not yet. Trust me, they won't hurt him."

"How can you be sure? They know he's working for us!"

"Please, I'm asking you to trust me. Just one day, and if we don't have any more information we'll strike."

"One day," the other Renegade said. "But that's it."

_**LbN: Hope you liked it! Send reviews! I'm taking requests still! Just click the "Forums" link on my profile and leave it!**_


	9. Seige 2

_**LbN: Loooong chapter this time. Happy reading!  
**_

Michael and a few other Renegades gathered around the computer and screens. "They disabled the video, but not the audio. We can hear everything they say," Michael said.

Markus and Clayton's voices came through the receivers. "Don't worry," Clayton said. "I've disabled them. I was just trying to see what technology they're using."

"Any good?" Markus asked.

"Ours are better. How's Erika? I know the last few weeks have been hard on her. Hopefully it didn't affect the baby."

"Baby?" one of the Renegades asked. "Thought she was married to Selene."

"She is," Michael said. "It's something to do with blending the parent viruses and then doing artificial insemination. The blended virus takes over the DNA or something. Now shut up, I want to listen."

"She's certainly excited for the party," Markus said. "Selene's assured me that she'll keep Erika off her feet while they plan it."

"Next Friday, right?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, what with everything that's gone on?"

"We feel safe enough. The Renegades are lying low for now. We don't think they'll attempt another hit anytime this month. Their resources and morale are low."

"Shall we go see what my father is up to?"

"Yes, let's go."

The Renegades stood back from the computer.

"What if it's a trap?" one of them asked.

"They haven't found the other two cameras yet. We'll watch them for another couple days and see what's going on. In the meantime, we should still stock up on supplies."

* * *

"Think they bought it?" Clayton asked once they were away from the room.

"We'll see," Markus said.

Rhys came running up the stairs at that point. "Clayton, Erika says you need to come see the prisoner."

"Why?" Clayton asked, following him.

"She says you know him."

"What's his name?"

"Shiloh."

Clayton stopped dead. "Shiloh?"

"Yeah," Rhys said. "What's up? How do you know him?"

"I was his bodyguard," Clayton said, walking down the dungeon steps. "Erika was his godmother. His father tried to run off with the Renegades. His mother tried to stop him and got killed in the struggle. We caught his father, but the Renegades were long gone with him." He walked into the cell and stood next to Erika. "Shiloh?"

"How do you know me?" the boy asked. "Let me go!"

Clayton unlocked his handcuffs and stood back. "You don't remember me, do you?"

"Why should I?"

"I was your bodyguard. I knew your parents."

"You're the one who abandoned me? You let them kill my parents and then left me to die?"

Clayton stood back, shocked. Then he took a small knife from his boot and sliced his hand open. "Here," he said. "See for yourself."

Shiloh looked warily at him before approaching. He took Clayton's hand and brought it to his lips.

"_Push Loreilie, you're almost there," Clayton heard Erika say. "You're doing so well." _

"_I don't hear anything!" Cyrus said. _

"_I do," Clayton said, smiling. "I hear a baby crying."_

_Erika came out, holding a baby in her arms. "Cyrus, I have someone to meet you. This is Shiloh."_

_*_

_Clayton smiled down as the toddler waddled toward him. "Careful Shiloh," he said, picking the boy up. _

_*_

_Gunshots rang out as Clayton ran. He stumbled a little as a bullet tore through his leg. Somehow, he managed to make it to the mansion and up the stairs. He burst into the nursery and picked the boy up from his bed. _

"_Clayton?" the three-year-old said. _

"_Shhhh," Clayton said. "We're going to make you a fort, okay? I want you to stay in here and don't come out. No matter what you hear." He took pillows and blankets into the closet and set the boy down. The boy fell asleep as Clayton closed the door. "Good night Shiloh."_

_Clayton ran back to the stairs after locking the door. A Lycan was staring him down. Before he could pull his gun, the Lycan tackled him._

_*_

"_Cyrus," Markus said. "You've been called before this counsel to answer for the crime of sabotaging this coven, and planning the abduction of your son."_

"_Spare me, Markus," Cyrus spat. "I'd rather he grew up with the Renegades, knowing the reality of the scum that leads this coven. He'll know you for what you really are: the villain who murdered his father."_

Shiloh stumbled back, looking up at Clayton. He said nothing, just sat against the wall with wide eyes.

Clayton healed himself. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you," he said. "Come on, out of the dungeon."

* * *

_**Next Wednesday**_

"Still watching?" Michael asked.

"We've had them on surveillance all week," the other Renegade said. "We've seen trucks making deliveries—baby stores dropping off gifts, catering vans dropping off supplies, that kind of thing. We've also seen visitors arrive. We were able to zoom in on all the license plates when they entered the gate. They're all from a specific section of Germany and two sections of Italy."

"The other covens. Looks like they really are having that party. Good, that means our plan won't go to waste. Are there enough visitors to cause a problem?"

"No. There are only about six more people total."

"Any news of Shiloh?"

"No. All I know is that his GPS has stayed in one place inside the mansion since last week."

"Good, hopefully they haven't harmed him. Stay on those monitors."

* * *

"Is that everything?" Selene asked.

"Yes. Markus told me I could only bring two suitcases," Erika said, smiling. "Alexia's just taking her rolling duffle and a backpack."

"Let's get these to the car then." Selene picked them up and lead the way to the SUV parked in the garage. She loaded them into the trunk and turned when someone tapped her shoulder. "Shiloh?"

"Clayton says I should come too," he said.

"He needs to be out of the way," Clayton said, striding into the garage. "Get in, Shiloh."

The boy hopped in after Alexia.

"Clayton, are you sure about this?" Selene asked. "What if they go looking for him? He shouldn't be in the same place as Erika."

"Do they know about the southern house?"

"No, it's new."

"Then the only way they'd find out is if they find something during the attack. We'll be able to beat them there as long as we send out a unit the moment they retreat."

Selene nodded. "Who's driving them down?"

"Rhys, Lars, Demetria and Kennedy. They'll look after them."

"I know." Selene opened the door again. "Lexi, you be good," she said, giving the girl a kiss. She kissed Erika as the bodyguards got into the car. "I'll see you soon, I promise. Try not to worry."

Erika chuckled at that. "I'll try. Be careful."

Selene nodded and closed the door. She stood next to Clayton as the garage door opened and the truck pulled away.

"They'll be fine," Clayton said, squeezing her shoulder. "Come on, let's get to work."

* * *

_**Friday**_

"How are we doing?" Michael asked. He took one of the guns from the holder in the truck and looked it over. Putting it back, he said, "We need to be ready by six. I want to go over the plan one last time and then it's going to take two hours to get there. At latest, we need to leave at seven thirty. We want the party to be in full swing when we crash it."

"We're right on schedule then," the Lycan said. "All of these are loaded and ready to go. Team B will ride in them and use these when we call them in. Each of us on Team A will carry two hand guns and a rifle. When B gets joins the fray, they'll bring us another set of weapons. It'll be a little chaotic, but that's the best we can do."

"That's good work," Michael said, hitting him lightly on the shoulder.

"Hey Michael?" another Renegade called.

"What's up?"

"Look at this. Shiloh's GPS moved. He's somewhere in the south. What's up with that?"

"Don't know. Maybe they've killed him and dumped the body?"

"No," an older Vampire said. "Proper burials are given to all Immortals. They may have done away with much, but that is sacred."

"So he's still alive," Michael muttered. "Brookes, Avery!" he yelled through the door. He hooked up a smaller GPS system to the computer and copied the reception data. "You two tail Shiloh. I want to know where they've taken him and why. Remember, we're still planning to hit the coven tonight, so don't call me with bullshit. When you figure out where he is, and who's with him, call me."

"Right, Michael."

* * *

Selene paced the floor. "I hate waiting," she told Clayton.

He smiled at her. "I know. I think everyone's getting anxious."

"Clayton!" Fidelia said. "They're coming! They just tripped the sensors."

"Positions everyone," Clayton said.

Selene went to the other side of the window. They'd done some work with lighting and curtains downstairs to make it look like there were people there, moving around. The Immortals were all on the second and third floor at the windows, waiting to shoot. Selene spotted the first round of Renegades climbing the fences. "Ten…nine…eight…" she counted quietly.

* * *

"I've never had human food before!" Shiloh said excitedly, through a mouthful of burrito.

"Did they only feed you blood?" Lars asked.

Shiloh nodded. "They always told us that we're animals, so we have to eat like animals do."

Before any of them could respond, the monitor on the wall started blinking. Rhys got up to look at it. "Someone's tripped the sensors," he said. "Erika, take the kids upstairs." He and the other bodyguards went to the window. "Shit!" he said. "Two Renegades."

"How'd they find us?" Erika asked.

Automatically, everyone looked at Shiloh. "Whoa! Don't blame me! You guys took everything I had when you found me!"

There was silence for a moment, then Demetria spoke. "No we didn't." She walked over to him and yanked his hoodie over his head. Ignoring his muffled, "Hey!" she pulled it all the way off and ripped into the seam. Stitched in were tiny pods. "Mini GPS. So light he can't even feel them."

"How do we know he didn't know about them to begin with?" Lars asked.

"They have a communicator," Rhys explained, examining the sweater. "If he'd known, he would've contacted them."

"I didn't know, I swear!" Shiloh said.

"Go upstairs with Erika," Rhys said. "We need to take care of this before more of them come."

* * *

Michael stayed back, watching the first half of Team A fight the rain of bullets. "Team B, come to entrance position. Aim at the windows on the upper two floors." Then he ran, zigzagging across the lawn. He felt bullets hit his shoulder and arms, but he kept his head down and kept going. He dove and crashed through the dining room window. Regaining his balance, he looked around. The "people" he'd seen moving in here were just curtains, bunched and draped from the ceiling in different places in the room. Three big lights were set up in the corners. He growled. "It was a setup," he said, as the other Renegades entered.

"Ah!" one of them yelled.

Michael turned to see each of them falling. He pointed his gun at the door, but because of the shadows and curtains he couldn't see where the bullets were coming from.

"Michael," someone said. It was Selene.

As he pulled his gun, he felt a dull ache in the back of his head. That was the last thing he registered before everything went black.

* * *

"Why are we waiting to kill him?" Clayton asked, in the closest voice to a whine that he could manage.

"Do you really want to kill a sleeping enemy?" William asked. "For shame, son."

Selene leaned against the wall, smiling slightly. The rest of the Renegades had retreated. They'd captured Michael, along with a few others, and were waiting for him to come around. She went over to the table where his things were laying. "What's this?" she muttered, picking up a walkie-talkie. It was off. "Clayton, did you turn this off?" she asked.

"No. I didn't mess with anything."

Selene flicked the switch and heard a voice coming through.

"Michael? Michael, come in! We need backup! They're at some country house in the south. It was all a setup; Erika's here. They don't have that much protection, but we can't take them out with just the two of us!"

Selene didn't wait to see what the others were doing. She bolted up the stairs and into the mansion. "Kahn! Raize! We have to go, now!"

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	10. Time of Dying 2

**Time of Dying**

Selene had barely burst through the front doors when something large lifted her off her feet. Looking up, she saw Marcus. He had her in his talons and they were soaring higher and higher, heading south. Selene looked down again, watching as the cars' lights came on and began following them. The cold night air pushed against her face, calming her only slightly. She took a deep breath, held it and exhaled, trying to calm herself enough to see Erica. She closed her eyes as Marcus flew and tuned into her wife's mind.

* * *

Erica stumbled as she felt Selene's presence in her mind.

"Mama?" Alexia said.

"I'm fine," Erika gasped. She'd always said the first few seconds of 'mind invading' felt a lot like a cross between an orgasm and a really hard kick in the shins. "Get into the room." She and Kennedy followed the two children into the panic room.

"You alright?" Kennedy asked.

"Fine. Selene's on her way. Quiet for a second, I need to talk to her." Erika sat down on one of the chairs. She could hear gun shots, but blocked them out. _Selene? Where are you?_

_I'm on my way. Markus is carrying me. The cars are about fifteen minutes behind us. Are the Renegades there yet?_

_I think so. They haven't broken in yet._

_Don't be afraid, we'll be there soon._

Erika shivered as Selene pulled out of her mind. "They're on their way."

* * *

Clayton wiped Michael's blood off his hands. He looked down at Michael's wasted corpse and smiled. It had probably been overkill, but Selene had told him about Michael's resurrection stunt and no one wanted that again. Walking outside, he morphed and began running.

* * *

When Selene finally dropped from the sky, onto the back of a Renegade, she'd never been happier to be part of a fight. She pulled out two guns and began shooting and running. She dodged some return fire and ducked behind a large tree. She watched the coven's cars pull up as bark flew off the tree she was hiding behind. The rest of the Death Dealers joined the melee as Markus began picking people up and dropping them on the harder elements of the landscape. Selene fired around the tree and called to Soren, "Cover me!" She ran to the right, keeping low and shooting at the small battalion of Renegades. She took out the three that were trying to break down the door, and used the slightly elevated position to pick off others. She'd thought they'd killed most of them, but there seemed to be a lot of them pushing into the house. She ran and jumped, grabbing the balcony and pulling herself up. She broke the door and quickly destroyed the room. She opened the door a crack before tiptoeing over to the closet. She crawled inside, into the very back. Cloaks and fur coats tickled her face as she let the retina scan check her identity. The hydraulic door opened and she walked in. "It's just me!" she whispered, putting her hands up when she heard the gun action clack.

"Oh thank god!" Erika said, fairly tackling her.

"We've got to get you guys out of here," Selene said. "Soren's waiting with a car—" The ground rumbled. Selene grabbed Erika's arm to keep her from falling. "Shit!"

They all turned, Selene and Kennedy with guns raised, as someone tore the door off the panic room.

"Come on!" Clayton growled. "They bombed the place, let's go!"

Selene covered Erika as Clayton picked up Alexia. Kennedy and Shiloh followed them out of the room. Chunks of ceiling fell as they moved through the mansion. Clayton turned when Shiloh let out a loud, "Ahh!" Kennedy had just caught him by the wrist as the ground gave out in front of them.

"Keep moving!" he yelled as the house fell in around them.

Selene, as gently as was possible, picked up Erika and jumped to the lower landing. "You okay? Let's go." They led the way through the downstairs, dodging debris and falling ceiling. Selene grabbed Erika just before she walked through the door. A piece of the balcony was sagging dangerously. "Quickly!" She and Erika ran out of the door and into the yard. They turned when they heard a high pitched scream.

Alexia was lying in the dirt in front of the porch. She got up, dusting herself off and turned around. "Clayton! I was running already! Why'd you push…me…" she trailed off, looking at her bodyguard.

Selene ran over. Clayton was lying flat on his face, stuck under half of the balcony. Shiloh and Kennedy were trying to push it off of him. She dropped to her knees to help them. They managed to push the slab of granite up and flip it off the porch. Selene closed her eyes, trying to unsee the mess Clayton was in. He looked like a clump of squished molding clay. She looked up at Erika, who had picked their daughter up to keep her from seeing. "Shiloh, you're bleeding." She moved him into the yard where the medics were tending to the wounded. Looking over at Kennedy, she saw the girl seemed to be in shock. "Come on, Little K," she told the younger Lycan. "There's nothing we can do for him." She glanced once at Clayton's lifeless body before helping Kennedy up and into the yard.

"Is he…?" Erika said, walking over to him.

Selene wrapped her and their daughter in a hug.

* * *

Erika rested her head on Selene's shoulder as their daughter put some flowers on Clayton's grave. "Lexi, go with Marianna please."

"Yes, Mama," Alexia said, hugging both of them before leaving with her nanny.

"How are you?" Selene asked. "Both of you?" she added, glancing at Erika's stomach.

"I've been better."

When her wife didn't continue, Selene hugged her tighter. "I was thinking. The coven in Germany has room. Why don't we live there for a while? It would be a good place to start again."

"I don't want to leave him," Erika whispered, looking down at the grave.

"You're not." Selene ran her thumb across the bracelet Erika wore. It was a braided leather band with a silver circle at the top. The circle had the Corvinus crest engraved on it. "He wouldn't think you're abandoning him. I know he wouldn't."

They stayed in silence for a moment. Selene, hating to break the quiet, spoke to Erika through their minds. _I'll make you a deal…._

_What's that?_

_We'll stay here until the baby's born, then we'll go to Germany. We'll stay for a year, then if you and Alexia want to, we can come back. _

…_Okay._

Erika kissed Selene's shoulder. "Let's go in."

_On the ground I lay motionless in pain  
I can see my life flashing before my eyes  
Dead I fall asleep, is this all a dream  
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare_

I will not die  
(I will not die)  
I will survive

I will not die, I'll wait here for you  
I feel alive, when you're beside me  
I will not die, I'll wait here for you  
In my time of dying

On this bed I lay, losing everything  
I can see my life passing me by  
Was it all too much or just not enough  
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare

I will not die  
(I will not die)  
I will survive

I will not die, I'll wait here for you  
I feel alive, when you're beside me  
I will not die, I'll wait here for you  
In my time of dying

I will not die, I'll wait here for you  
I feel alive, when you're beside me  
I will not die, I'll wait here for you  
In my time of dying

I will not die, I'll wait here for you  
I feel alive, when you're beside me  
I will not die, I'll wait here for you  
In my time of dying

_~Three Days Grace  
_

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_


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